Marvel streamlines their Captain Marvel directorial search

August 24th 2016, 4:16pm

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Marvel is getting serious about candidates to sit in the director's chair as they introduce CAPTAIN MARVEL into their Cinematic Universe. After casting a wide net in their search for filmmakers to helm the feature film that'll star Brie Larson in the title role, they have narrowed down their list of prospects as they head into the home stretch of this extended job interview.

Niki Caro, Lesli Linka Glatter and Lorene Scafaria sit atop the list as frontrunners for the gig after directors like THE BABADOOK's Jennifer Kent and KUNG FU PANDA 2's Jennifer Yuh were considered but ultimately weeded out as the process continues forward. Other unrevealed names are also in the conversation, but Caro, Glatter and Scafaria are leading the charge at the moment. However, don't expect Marvel to rush into a decision anytime soon. If anything, they are being more deliberate in finding the right fit for their first female superhero film, and the next step will involve the studio giving a treatment and other assorted documents to those they're thinking about in order for them to offer up detailed presentations on how they'd approach the Phase Three movie.

Caro put herself on the radar back in 2002 with WHALE RIDER, which earned an Best Actress Oscar nomination for then-13-year-old Keisha Castle Hughes. She then went onto direct NORTH COUNTRY, which received two Academy Award nominations – one for Best Actress for Charlize Theron and one for Best Supporting Actress for Frances McDormand. She has worked within the Disney machine before, helming MCFARLAND, USA for The Mouse, and also has THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE in the can right now with Jessica Chastain, which you know you'll be seeing because it stars Jessica Chastain.

Glatter is a much different option, having cut her teeth in the world of television. She is the main director for Showtime's HOMELAND, nominated for an Emmy this year for her work on the show, and had previously also been responsible for episodes of RAY DONOVAN, THE NEWSROOM, TRUE BLOOD, MAD MEN, ER and THE WEST WING. Yep… That's some resume of TV series to be involved in.

Scarfaria, on the other hand, made her feature film debut with SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, which she also wrote, after penning the script for NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. She also wrote and directed THE MEDDLER, which was well-received earlier this year.

Needless to say, Marvel is going to pick a quality female filmmaker for CAPTAIN MARVEL. They have a wealth of choices on their menu and will make a solid decision, no matter who they select. It's just a matter of which direction they choose to go.

CAPTAIN MARVEL arrives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her own film on March 8, 2019.